Shloka 68

Adhyaya 34 — Madālāsā’s Instruction on Sadācāra (Householder Conduct, Purity, and Daily Rites)

Sanskrit

सम्यगाचम्य तोयेन क्रियां कुर्वोत वै शुचिः ।

देवतानामृषीणाञ्च पितॄणाञ्चैव यत्नतः ॥

Transliteration

samyagācamya toyena kriyāṃ kurvota vai śuciḥ | devatānām ṛṣīṇāñ ca pitṝṇāñ caiva yatnataḥ ||

Translation

Sau khi đúng phép súc miệng thanh tịnh (ācamana), người đã sạch sẽ nên cẩn trọng cử hành các nghi lễ—những nghi lễ dành cho chư thiên, các bậc hiền triết (ṛṣi) và tổ tiên.

Word by Word

• samyak: properly, correctly
• samyak: Viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: samyak (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; adverb (क्रियाविशेषण)

• ācamya: having sipped (water)
• ācamya: Kriyā (पूर्वकर्म/अनुक्रम)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√cam (धातु)
• Form: Kṛdanta; absolutive/gerund (क्त्वान्त/ल्यप्), having sipped (ācamana)

• toyena: with water
• toyena: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: toya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• kriyām: the rite/act
• kriyām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kriyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• kurvīta: should perform
• kurvīta: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: Optative (विधिलिङ्), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• vai: indeed
• vai: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; particle/emphasis (निपात)

• śuciḥ: (being) pure
• śuciḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śuci (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); used adjectivally

• devatānām: of the deities
• devatānām: Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devatā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Plural (बहुवचन)

• ṛṣīṇām: of the sages
• ṛṣīṇām: Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Plural (बहुवचन)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; conjunction (समुच्चय)

• pitṝṇām: of the ancestors (pitṛs)
• pitṝṇām: Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Plural (बहुवचन)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; conjunction (समुच्चय)

• eva: also/indeed
• eva: Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; emphatic particle (निपात)

• yatnataḥ: carefully, with effort
• yatnataḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyaya; adverbial ablative in -tas (तसिल्), 'with effort/carefully'

Speakers

• Not in Devi Māhātmya frame; general dharma/ācāra instruction within the Purāṇa’s didactic material (speaker not specified in provided excerpt)

Verse Rasa

{ "primaryRasa": "shanta", "secondaryRasa": "bhakti", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

Primary Deities

• Devas
• Pitṛs (collective)

Key Themes

• Dharma
• Śauca (purity)
• Ācamana
• Pitṛ-pūjā
• Ritual correctness

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Outer cleanliness and inner attentiveness are treated as prerequisites for dharmic action. The verse links personal purity (śauca) with responsibility toward three spheres of obligation: Devas (cosmic order), Ṛṣis (transmission of knowledge), and Pitṛs (lineage continuity).

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

This is not primarily sarga/pratisarga/manvantara/vaṃśa/vaṃśānucarita material; it belongs to ancillary Purāṇic dharma-śāstra style instruction (ācāra), a common didactic layer within Purāṇas.

What is the esoteric significance?

Ācamana symbolizes resetting one’s ‘ritual body’—a microcosmic purification before engaging the macrocosmic powers (Devas), the luminous intellect-tradition (Ṛṣis), and the subtle ancestral field (Pitṛs).